Time for Bakers and Baristas

There are a fair few places you can grab a coffee at when visiting the Mall at Cribbs Causeway. I have been to fair few of them (well would you expect anything less). Back in May we were shopping at the Mall and decided to stop for coffee. Bakers and Barista wasn’t busy so we went there and had a flat white and a muffin. 

The muffin was just okay (not enough raspberries in it) and the coffee was nice.

There was a good range of food when we visited. Not a bad place to have a coffee and they have real china cups as well.

Coffee from another Piaggio

Needing a quick coffee (as in a real coffee) back in May, I was pleased to see close by to our office in Bristol a Coffee Piaggio.

Coffee Piaggio

Great coffee as well.

Was reminded of this Piaggio experience in London a (fair) few years back.

Nice flat white

flat white

Killing some time before my train I went to Caffè Nero at Central St Giles. Nice warm welcome from the staff and I ordered my usual favourite, a flat white. I didn’t order anything to eat (as I wasn’t very hungry). I found a place to sit and drink the coffee. It was a really nice coffee, and a nice place as well.

Posh Coffee

We were away in London for the weekend back in August, and one thing that we wanted to do was to see how the other half lived and visit Harrods. Unlikely to do to much shopping there, but it was nice to visit.

Having explored (and got lost in the rest of the store) we found the food halls. As we explored we decided to stop for a coffee at the coffee bar. This is not the most relaxing of places to sit and have a coffee, you basically sit at a bar on barstools, we wanted to have a Harrods coffee drinking experience.

As you might expect I had a flat white, and to be honest it was rather good and I really enjoyed it.

flat white from Harrods

If we wanted to be really “posh” I think we should have visited the tea room on another floor, but I doubt we would have been able to find it!

We did some shopping in the food halls, but I mainly just looked and gasped at the prices of some of the stuff on sale.

There are services and then there are services

Back in September I was driving back from a conference in the East Midlands. I decide to stop off at the services for a coffee. I could have stopped off at Starbucks at Hopwood Park, but I had decided to avoid the M42 and was driving down the A46 to the M5.

I thus decided to stop off at the Gloucester Services for a coffee.

I really like these services, they are so different to basically all the others on the motorway network. As well as a range of food options, they also have a food to go area as well, for those in a rush. As well as the catering places, the services also have a big farm shop which is full of lots of stuff, including fresh meat and fish, bakery goods, deli stuff and cakes.

I wasn’t hungry, having had a nice lunch at the conference, so I just ordered a flat white.

What was nice, was that the sun was shining, and they have outdoor seating. So out I went to drink my coffee and enjoy some fresh air and sun.

I would say that this is not the best flat white I have had, but it was good flavoured coffee.

These are really nice relaxing services. There are services and then there are services.

Nice flat white

I was walking past Exmouth Market one evening and decided I wanted a coffee. Most of the usual coffee places were closed, but Caffé Nero was still open. I went in and ordered a flat white.

Despite the fact it was late and I was the only person in the place, the coffee was excellent. Well made and great coffee.

I had been there before on the way to a meeting at City, University of London a few years ago (pre pandemic) and it was nice coffee back then. I had also visited when staying at a nearby hotel.

Exmouth Market is quite a place for restaurants and cafes and after finishing my coffee I walked down the road, getting tempted by the different establishments. I was a little saddened to see that Paesan had closed down. Well not so much closed down, but turned into a pizza and craft beer place. I had had some excellent pasta there two years ago.

I enjoyed my coffee and carried on with my walk.

Packed House

Today I was reminded why despite working in the area for many years it was only recently that I had visited the WatchHouse. It was mid-afternoon and I felt like a coffee break and a flat white. So I headed out of the office to the WatchHouse and as I approached there was quite a lot of noise, alas the place was packed out and full. 

Well never mind I thought to myself, I headed back to the office and on the way went to Coco do Mama and got myself a flat white, which was excellent (also liked the little chocolate square you get with the coffee).

Flat white

Great Coffee

So nice to see Coco di Mama (near out London office) reopen for business. I obviously went in and had a great flat white.

flat white

Yes there was the little square of dark chocolate as well.

I also treated myself to a cross between a brownie and and a panettone. Rather rich and tasty pastry concoction.

brownie panettone

Nice to sit in and relax with some great coffee.

Watch out, nice coffee again

Having enjoyed my coffee from the WatchHouse the other day, I decided to visit the place again and have another flat white, but this time I made the decision to drink in.

I had always meant to visit the place on previous visits to London. Prior to the pandemic it was always rather busy, so I would go somewhere else. It wasn’t busy when I went in and I ordered my flat white. I did think about a cake, but I wasn’t that hungry, so just the coffee.

My order was taken and I took a seat. The coffee was brought to my table, complete with tasting notes.

This was beautifully made, smooth, velvety and a great coffee taste.

Great service, excellent coffee and a nice environment.

Watch out, nice coffee

WatchHouse

When working in our offices, I do like to take a break and pop out for a (real) coffee, rather than face the instant stuff we have in our kitchens. We moved our London offices back in July 2018 and there are plenty of places around the area for coffee and food. I have only recently returned visiting the office following lockdown. Today I went to WatchHouse, a modern sophisticated coffee place to pick up a flat white.

I had always meant to visit the place on previous visits to London. Prior to the pandemic it was always rather busy, so I would go somewhere else. So this morning it was not busy, so I ventured in, before hitting the office. I ordered a flat white, which I took back to the office.

This was beautifully made, smooth, velvety and a great coffee taste.

I will go back.